Survey Finds Bangkokians Think Pirated Goods Okay

[george]

Survey finds Bangkokians think pirated goods okay

By John Le Fevre

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- A survey conducted by the Research Institute of Bangkok University has found that almost 80 percent of respondents rented or bought pirated goods because of their lower prices.

The survey of 1,104 Bangkok residents aged over 18 found 40 percent had bought entertainment DVDs, and 21 percent counterfeit bags, shoes, glasses and watches.

The little more than 20 percent who said they had never purchased pirated goods said they had not done so because they were illegal and sub-standard.

The survey found 40 percent of respondents felt counterfeit goods are common in Thailand because licensed goods are too expensive, while just under 20 percent blamed negligent or corrupt officials and their alleged vested interests in profiting from pirated goods.

Price rather than quality was the influencing factor for 48.6 percent of respondents, while 26 per cent said the easy accessible supply of fake products influenced their decision to buy.

When questioned as to whether the problem of copy or pirated goods could be resolved, 95 percent thought it could, while five percent thought there was no need to tackle the issue.

Thirty nine percent of those surveyed thought lowering the price of licensed goods was the best solution, while 19 percent said heavy penalties should be imposed on offenders.

Aunya Singsangob, Dean of School of Law, Bangkok University said the problem of copyright piracy in Thailand was mainly the result of the lack of awareness among consumers and a lack of respect for other people’s creative ideas and work.

She said government agencies should boost understanding among people that buying pirated goods is a copyright violation in addition to the selling of the items.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-08-14

[grantbkk]

There is no easy alternative to buying western television content and most movies. You can choose any title with perfect sound and picture for 80 Baht a disk. Return it in good condition and receive 50 Baht. That is 30 Baht for a movie or four episodes of a television series.

The True Visions monopoly has made it impossible to get decent content here. True Vision movie channels show "made for TV" movies in the US as theatrical releases here and do the same with straight to video content. True Visions would be out of business and under indictment in a developed country.

I am not proud of skirting copyright laws but until there is competition in the service provider sector I will continue to buy my content from alternative sources. If nothing materializes soon I may have to do what so many are doing now through file sharing on the internet for free.

[Gary A]

One of the first things I found strange about Thailand is that people respect wealthy people. It doesn't matter at all how those wealthy people got their money. That makes this no surprise at all.

[grantbkk]

Only about 5% of Thais pay income tax. It was told to be that it is an extreme loss of face to actually pay taxes.

[kalbo123]

I wonder how al those people react when it's their stuff they are copying.....

[Heng]

One of the first things I found strange about Thailand is that people respect wealthy people. It doesn't matter at all how those wealthy people got their money. That makes this no surprise at all.

As per the ancient (4th century?) Thai proverb... "the ends justifies the means."

[sunsamourai]

There is no easy alternative to buying western television content and most movies. You can choose any title with perfect sound and picture for 80 Baht a disk. Return it in good condition and receive 50 Baht. That is 30 Baht for a movie or four episodes of a television series.

The True Visions monopoly has made it impossible to get decent content here. True Vision movie channels show "made for TV" movies in the US as theatrical releases here and do the same with straight to video content. True Visions would be out of business and under indictment in a developed country.

I am not proud of skirting copyright laws but until there is competition in the service provider sector I will continue to buy my content from alternative sources. If nothing materializes soon I may have to do what so many are doing now through file sharing on the internet for free.

Grantbkk's got s good point. TV is not offering much decent quality entertainment, and if it would, you would still get those ridiculous blurred areas, and you would still miss entires scenes. Sometimes to the point where you cant understand whole parts of the movie. If you go to the theater, same same.

One might also want to recall that western film/music makers sell their products through the official quite dearly. These companies are the ones who so fiercefuly insist on copyright issues, not so much the artists anymore. And there is also much abuse coming from there.

[jackinthebox]

Bangkok is surely the capital with the highest number of (bad) copied "Louis-Vuitton" bags. But this is not a shame. Why? If you look twice you recognize them as a copy immediately. Everybody. Even the poorest "Luug thung" can see that the real bag is much better quality than the copy. So girls who got the money (or the rich gig) go to "Gaysorn" or "Emporion" (i.e. force their boyfriends to go there :-( and buy the original. All the others go to patpong or to any streetvendor outside shopping malls and buy the copy. For "LV-Paris" this is IMHO no loss. They wouldn't sell more or less if there were no copies. And - have you ever tried copied Perfume? Engine-oil smells better...

[cdnvic]

I have gone to places like Amazon with credit card ready to pay for content only to be told I cannot because I am not in the US.

I tried.

[Plus]

UBC/True has absolutely no control over movie content on HBO/Cinemax/Star moviesand it has all the popular TV series covered - Lost, House, 24 etc. Apart from that Grantbkk is "right".

[h90]

I wonder how al those people react when it's their stuff they are copying.....

Bad there was a Cambodian who made pictures in the cinema at a Thai movie.....

Police took him.

[Sisaketmike]

Survey finds Bangkokians think pirated goods okay

By John Le Fevre

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- A survey conducted by the Research Institute of Bangkok University has found that almost 80 percent of respondents rented or bought pirated goods because of their lower prices.

The survey of 1,104 Bangkok residents aged over 18 found 40 percent had bought entertainment DVDs, and 21 percent counterfeit bags, shoes, glasses and watches.

The little more than 20 percent who said they had never purchased pirated goods said they had not done so because they were illegal and sub-standard.

The survey found 40 percent of respondents felt counterfeit goods are common in Thailand because licensed goods are too expensive, while just under 20 percent blamed negligent or corrupt officials and their alleged vested interests in profiting from pirated goods.

Price rather than quality was the influencing factor for 48.6 percent of respondents, while 26 per cent said the easy accessible supply of fake products influenced their decision to buy.

When questioned as to whether the problem of copy or pirated goods could be resolved, 95 percent thought it could, while five percent thought there was no need to tackle the issue.

Thirty nine percent of those surveyed thought lowering the price of licensed goods was the best solution, while 19 percent said heavy penalties should be imposed on offenders.

Aunya Singsangob, Dean of School of Law, Bangkok University said the problem of copyright piracy in Thailand was mainly the result of the lack of awareness among consumers and a lack of respect for other people's creative ideas and work.

She said government agencies should boost understanding among people that buying pirated goods is a copyright violation in addition to the selling of the items.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-08-14

Hi, here's some from Sisaket, the town of some two legged buffaloes. Just imagine: If there'd be a place where you could buy Windows Office 2007 for 120 baht, and they charge you 12,000 for the original, what would you buy, if both are similar, AND YOU'LL NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM USING THE 'CHEAPER' VERSION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE OUT OF MONEY? who'd you chose? Don't make a study about Thailand, isn't that worldwide?

[Sisaketmike]

I wonder how al those people react when it's their stuff they are copying.....

Bad there was a Cambodian who made pictures in the cinema at a Thai movie.....

Police took him.

YOU MUST BE VERY CRAZY TO WRITE SHIT LIKE THAT. CALLED SOM NAM NA................

[dragonfly94]

I wonder how al those people react when it's their stuff they are copying.....

I know a famous singer who was pissed off at copies of his CD's being sold at one of his concerts. He hired a bunch of guys to attack and trash any stall found selling selling copies of his stuff - the criminals selling the fakes went to the Police. Nobody was charged and to this day this singers material is rarely seen being sold as copies.

[sokal]

This is why I like Thailand. Counterfiet goods ? why not ?

[Geekfreaklover]

There are good copies and bad copies expecially with clothes. Some copies are better than the original and cost the same to make. Just that originals charge more as you are buying into the name/brand. Which is fair enough as the name/brand has product dvelopment, advertising costs etc.

Seems like the intellietual copyright lawyers are targetting Thailand much more than the did ten years ago. Gone are the days where you could flog copies on eBay.

[dominique355]

It is like with many other things: EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION. The Thai government so far has miserably failed to explain how bad it is to manufacture and sell, but also to buy counterfeit goods.

This is not just about music CDs or movie DVD or a Louis Vuitton bag. It goes on with spare parts for cars and even airplanes (scary!!!), medicine and whatever promised some quick buck.

And if the owner tries to go after these pirates, the police is less than cooperative or even warns the shop owner before he is raided. If you succeed to seize some goods, it takes years to get a conviction and the seized good mysteriously disappear.

As long as Thai people accept pirated goods ans services and believe they are somehow entitled to things they usually cannot afford, piracy and corruption will continue.

[Heng]

It is like with many other things: EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION. The Thai government so far has miserably failed to explain how bad it is to manufacture and sell, but also to buy counterfeit goods.

I think you'll find that a good portion of those who have the resources to open factories to produce black and grey market goods have plenty of well educated folks, often abroad, in the family. Look who owns Pantip. The majority of that Thai family is based in the US (2nd and 3rd generation).

[cdnvic]

I'd like to see the results of similar surveys in other countries. Most of the big torrent sites are in English.

[TAWP]

And copies and clones doesn't need to be inferior. Many times they are not. But the ones you are referring to is the cheaper copies ofocurse, since the expensive ones don't get sold here. People cannot afford them or the originals.

[blaze]

Cdnvic is right- most of those in so called developed countries who have cause and opportunity to illegally d/l or buy copy protected stuff- are usually relatively well educated- in fact, sufficiently eductated to deploy a fuzzy blend of marxist economics, post modern relativism and semantic twists in the service of rationalizing illegal behavior. (But assert your 'right'- to camp out in their basement for a few days- or help yourself to their car-- and suddenly they seem to become champions of Old Testament morality.)

No the problem has nothing whatsoever to do with education- it has everything to do with enforcement. It would be nice to say that in the educated developed countries the reason that copy write laws are more stringently enforced is due to a popular will to see them enforced- but that's not the case. They are enforced because the law stipulates that they MUST be enforced- and when the law gets a bit lazy- then some high profile court cases serve to wake up- not the nascent popular will- but rather those responsible for enforcement. The average non-down loading, non c'f buying joe- couldn't care less one way or the other.

Edited August 15, 2009 by blaze

[way2muchcoffee]

most of those in so called developed countries who have cause and opportunity to illegally d/l or buy copy protected stuff- are usually relatively well educated- in fact, sufficiently eductated to deploy a fuzzy blend of marxist economics, post modern relativism and semantic twists in the service of rationalizing illegal behavior.

"educated people deploying a fuzzy blend of marxist economics, post modern relativism, and semantic twists in the service of rationalizing illegal behavior."

I love it. Nice turn of phrase. I resemble that remark!

Edited August 15, 2009 by way2muchcoffee

[dondraper]

It is like with many other things: EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION. The Thai government so far has miserably failed to explain how bad it is to manufacture and sell, but also to buy counterfeit goods.

I think you'll find that a good portion of those who have the resources to open factories to produce black and grey market goods have plenty of well educated folks, often abroad, in the family. Look who owns Pantip. The majority of that Thai family is based in the US (2nd and 3rd generation).

Does the US Department of Justice know that? 5555

[Loaded]

In a country where former prime ministers allow wives to wear stolen jewelery from saudi arabia, deputy prime ministers run the illegal gambling business in Bangkok, prime ministers change laws to allow tax free sells of their government monopoly, why does it seem strange that people who earn the cost of a genuine Louis Vuiton bag by working 12 hours a day for a few years would feel there's nothing wrong in buying a bargain. I have no problem with Thais buying things that they could never afford normally.

Fok the US embassy

[Old Man River]

Only about 5% of Thais pay income tax. It was told to be that it is an extreme loss of face to actually pay taxes.

All of them pay withholding tax on their deposits.

[Old Man River]

It is like with many other things: EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION. The Thai government so far has miserably failed to explain how bad it is to manufacture and sell, but also to buy counterfeit goods.

I think you'll find that a good portion of those who have the resources to open factories to produce black and grey market goods have plenty of well educated folks, often abroad, in the family. Look who owns Pantip. The majority of that Thai family is based in the US (2nd and 3rd generation).

Heng, it is quite well known that Pantip is owned by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi whose family is in Bangkok. Are you referring to someone else?

[Heng]

It is like with many other things: EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION. The Thai government so far has miserably failed to explain how bad it is to manufacture and sell, but also to buy counterfeit goods.

I think you'll find that a good portion of those who have the resources to open factories to produce black and grey market goods have plenty of well educated folks, often abroad, in the family. Look who owns Pantip. The majority of that Thai family is based in the US (2nd and 3rd generation).

Heng, it is quite well known that Pantip is owned by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi whose family is in Bangkok. Are you referring to someone else?

Yes, I'm referring to the other half, the family who own most of that area and continue to receive rental income through ownership of TCC shares (part of the deal specifically referred to Pantip). New money from booze fused with old money land.

True though, the Sirivadhanabhakdi's also benefit from Pantip.

[Heng]

It is like with many other things: EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION. The Thai government so far has miserably failed to explain how bad it is to manufacture and sell, but also to buy counterfeit goods.

I think you'll find that a good portion of those who have the resources to open factories to produce black and grey market goods have plenty of well educated folks, often abroad, in the family. Look who owns Pantip. The majority of that Thai family is based in the US (2nd and 3rd generation).

Does the US Department of Justice know that? 5555

Why would they care? It's just rental income. Who knows what the tenants are up to?